O level Notes : FRS - Indigenous Religion - Sacred days

SACRED DAYS IN INDIGENOUS RELIGION

(i)  Chisi or Izilo

(ii) Cultural ceremony days like Kurova makuva and day of appeasing spirits or kupira

(iii)Burial of a King

(iv)The month of November

(v) New moon

Significance of sacred days in Indigenous religion

1. Chisi or Izilo (Day of rest)

This principle is used in another Shona cultural perspective called chisi or mahakurimwi, izilo in Ndebele where a village observes a certain day of the week for resting purposes. The day varies from place to place. Some places usually rest on Tuesdays while others on Thursdays and Fridays and on this day, no field work is to be done. In some areas, there should be no use of axes for cutting firewood and no one is allowed to chop firewood. Any transgressor who fails to observe this day faces community backlash as social and economic ills such as droughts and poor cropping yields are attributable to those who profane this day. The resulting consequence in this regard is the same as profaning the November month which results in severe penalties or even banishment from the village under worst case scenarios.

However, some people disobey this cultural practice since some will do the prohibited work on such days. And modernity seems to be playing a major role because people no-longer respect their culture due to cultural change and holders of this culture are dying and some too old to do a follow up. This day is sacred and significant in that by resting, the local people will be respecting the owners of the land, who are the ancestors. It must be noted that whoever transgresses this cultural law, although it is not on the calendar, would have traditionally performed an abomination.

2. Cultural ceremonies

Cultural ceremonies such as kurova makuva or even traditional marriage rites (kuroora) are regarded as taboos during the month of November. In Venda, the Ndau and Shona culture, spirit mediums (masvikiro) use the spirit of the departed to help in the functioning and well-being of the society. That also applies to spirits manifesting on traditional healers (midzimu inobuda pan'anga) which also uses the spirit of the departed to heal and give solutions to life problems.

An appeasement fee (kuripa in Shona and ukuhlawula in Ndebele) will then be required to cleanse the traditional artefacts that would have been blasphemed against. Most traditional and cultural events or rites performed during this period are rendered as a nullity or non-event at cultural level and would have to be re- done at appropriate times. Among the Shona, in the month of November, no marriage ceremony (kuroora), is allowed. It is believed that spirit mediums will be on rest and activities like marriage will not be recognised and will not subsist at cultural level, and that also applies when it is a bira which will not be received within the spiritual realm.

3. The month of November

Just as it is in the Bible that after creating the world over six days, the Almighty God (Musikavanhu) rested on the seventh day, the local spiritual realm also rests during the month of November, also known as Mbudzi in Shona or Usinyikhaba in Ndebele and Mbudzi in Kalanga. It is during this month that everything with links to the spiritual and ancestral world of Zimbabwean tradition temporarily ceases to function.

4. New moon

There is also the day of new moon which is regarded as sacred. With modernity, things are changing as well. People used to follow the practices and rituals of this day. People are not allowed to work, go to the fields or do any other duties. People celebrate it depending with the area, some are still practising it and some are not. Where it is celebrated, there will be dances and beating of drums with young girls and boys providing entertainment. In areas where it is still practised, everyone is allowed to participate and failure to do so will attract a penalty like paying a fine of a goat and grain. The continued violation of these traditional sacrilege laws has led to a myriad of problems bedevilling this nation. 

Unfavourable weather conditions, droughts and mystical occurrences are some of the bad results that people come across as a result of not respecting this important month in the Indigenous culture. However, it must be noted that the spiritual world is tolerant and wants to make peace with its children. This is evident in the fact that spirits are now manifesting themselves in the younger generation, which is a clear indication of the return to traditional spiritualism. This return means the return also to the adherence and observance of our cultural symbols and days.

Here is what we discussed in this topic

The rituals vary from place to place and even within the same community. The birth of a child is greeted with joy in IR. After birth, there are rituals like puberty and marriage rites. Following these rites are funerals which constitute one of the important rites of passage in life. The rituals surrounding death are complex and vary from place to place. In IR there are sacred regalia used as ceremonial clothes, dresses and objects. Different practitioners wear different regalia, for example, traditional  leaders  wear  different  regalia  from  that  of  healers.  In  some communities and families, the type of animal skin that is used as a regalia is usually the totem of that family or society.   The adherents of IR observe and recognise sacred days like Kurova makuva, appeasing spirits or kupira, the 'month of November' and the 'New moon'. These days are sacred and significant in that the locals will rest on such days and by resting, the local people will be respecting the owners of the land, which are the ancestors. It must be noted that whoever transgresses this cultural law, although it is not on the calendar, would have traditionally performed an abomination.

Definition of terms used in this topic

Interment –comes from the root words meaning 'to place inside', and in this case it's the placing of a corpse in a grave.

Myriad - a countless number or a variety of specified things.

Regalia - is a type of dress, symbol or emblem used by different religious practitioners. The regalia show the type of office or membership of one in a society.

Rite - is a fundamental set of rituals performed according to prescribed social rules and customs. Each of these rites is a key component that is a part of traditionalAfrican cultures.

Sacred – is something which is holy or set apart for religious purposes like sacred days or sacred place.